This study assessed the performance of the three University Laboratory High Schools (ULHS) of CLSU located in Bibiclat, Aliaga; Palusapis, Science City of Muñoz; and Pinili, San Jose City, all in the province of Nueva Ecija from SY 1993-1994 to SY 1998-1999. A total of 508 respondents consisting of 20 faculty, 119 students, 205 graduates, 77 parents, 48 student teachers, and 39 field practice students served as data sources.
The 20 faculty were mostly female, married, with permanent employment, and with rank of instructor. A little more than half started their teaching jobs initially at the ULHS, half attended in-service education which was locally sponsored. Majority were evaluated as “outstanding” in their teaching performance although they were overloaded. Discussion method was cited as the most frequently used teaching method, while lecture, research and project methods were often fairly used. More than one-fourth of the respondents have plans of pursuing their doctoral degrees and retain their present teaching and curricular assignments.
The student respondents were mostly female with an average age of 16 years. Majority of their fathers were farmers while their mothers were housekeepers. Most of their parents were high school graduates with an annual income of less than Php70,000.00.
The service area is composed of 26 barangays in six towns and one city of Nueva Ecija, within the 1-2 kilometer radius from the school. An average class size of 43 students per curriculum year level or an average enrollment of 517 students per year was handled by seven faculty members from each school. About 36.96 percent of the students were members of school organizations.
The graduates of the ULHS had almost equal mean ratings in NSAT of 82.51 and general average grade of 82.81. Their percentile rank in NCEE was 50.33. The graduates performed best in Filipino as indicated by their general grade average in NSAT and NCEE scores. In NSAT, they performed lowest in Science as shown in their general average grade. In NCEE, they scored lowest in Math. The cohort survival rate of the six batches of graduates was 82.07 percent.
Among the four core subjects, the students performed best in English but lowest in Math. They had a general grade of 83.69 which was assessed as good.
In school community partnership, the schools provided 29.06 percent seminars and trainings on income generating projects to the clienteles in service areas and 30.06 percent of public agencies were tapped to assist the programs and projects in the school community. The students mostly participated in 38.88 percent socio-cultural activities in their own community. Graduates mostly came from the barangay 1-2 kilometers away from the schools.
The two primary problems indicated by the respondents were the limited books and other reading materials, and limited science and audio-visual equipment. They suggested that CLSU should provide these needed instructional materials and equipment.
Using analysis of variance the three schools significantly differed in several aspects. First, there were highly significant differences on the perceptions of the different group of respondents in mission and objectives and the organization and administration of ULHS. Students and parents have significantly higher ratings than other group of respondents. Across schools, they also differed significantly in mission and objectives and highly significant on organization and administration of ULHS in which ULHS Pinili had the highest population level while ULHS Palusapis was the lowest. Third, there were highly significant differences in the average grades of graduates in core subjects particularly in Science. Fourth, there was highly significant differences in the general average grades of students in eight subject areas across schools specifically in core subjects.
Using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r), the results showed that the elected teacher variables were not correlated with students general grade average. Among the student variables, only sex was found to be correlated with their general average grade.
